Insole



Sept. 15, 1931. c. N. PROUTY 1 82238 INSOLE Filed Aug. 1, 1928 CHARLES H. PROUTY, OF SPENCER, MASSACHUSETTS INSOLE Application filed August 1, 1928. Serial. No. 296,713.

This invention relates to the manufacture of insoles and particularly insoles adapted for use on welt shoes.

It is the general object of my invention to provide a form of construction b which a projection or protuberance may e formed at any desired point on the tread surface of an insole. Such project-ions are frequently desired for arch supporting or other purw poses.

A further object of the invention is to provide means by which such a projection may be made flexible and yielding, thereby much increasing the comfort of the wearer.

My invention further relates to arrange-v ments and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings in which Fig. 1 is a bottom view of an insole, illustrating the first step in the production of my invent1on; 0

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation, taken along the line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the complete insole; I

Fig. 4. is a transverse sectional elevation, taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of an insole, indicating various ways in which my invention may be used. 7

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a leather insole 10 for a welt shoe, which is provided with the usual stitching ribs or members 11, projecting outward from the lower surfae of the insole.

In constructing my improved insole, I first skive out a selected portion 12 from the under side of the insole, substantially reducing the thickness of the leather at the skived portion and producing a recess in the lower face,-as indicated in Fig. 2, the edges thereof gradually tapering to the full thickness of the insole. The leather overlying the skived portion 12 is relatively thin and is easily stretched and displaced outwardly.

Havin provided the insole 10 as above described,- then place a pad 15 in the skived portion 12. This pad may be of an; suitable material, but for many purposes it is preferably of a yielding or cushion material, such as relatively soft rubber.

I then preferably insert a strip of canvas or other strong fabric 18 between the ribs 11, said strip covering the pad 15. This strip of fabric is securely cemented in place and acts to reinforce the insole against lateral distortion at the point where the material of the insole has been skived out.

I then preferably insert a shank 20 of steel or fibre or other stifi material, and cover the shank and the greater portion of the bottom of the insole with the usual canvas reinforcing layer 22, which also is firmly cemented in place.

The flat shank 20 acts to force the cushion or pad 15 against the thin outer skived surface of the insole 10, projecting the same outward and forming a raised portion or protuberance on the tread surface thereof. This protuberance may be made even more pronounced by the pressure of the out-sole on the pad 15, when assembled therewlth.

While I have indicated the protuberance as being formed in the arch portion of the insole for arch-supporting purposes, I do not wish to be limited to a particular location of the protuberance, as the cushion or pad'may be applied to any portion of an insole and for any purpose, by the use of my improved construction.

In Fig. 5 I have locations for such indicated several possible pads, the pad A. being in .the shank portion for arch-supporting purposes, the pad B in the'heel portion, and the pad C in the front or ball portion of the shoe. Pads may be inserted in one or more of these various positions or in any other desired position in the surface of the insole.

While I have described my invention as applied to the insole of a welt shoe, 1t also possesses important advantages when embodied in insoles of other types. An insole formed in accordance with my invention is much more soft and yielding to the foot than the stiff molded type of insole which has been heretofore used for similar purposes. The skiving out of the leather renders the pad portion of the insole very soft and flexible and easily displaced outwardly and the full advantage of the rubber pad or cushion is thus rendered available.

Having thus described my invention and 5 the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is 1. A leather insole having a portion of its under side skived to substantially decrease its thickness, a pad positioned in said skived portion, and a layer of fabric extending across said insole beneath said pad, said layer. being secured in position and retaining said pad in place and also preventing lateral spreadin of the insole at the skived portion, said pad Iieing of substantially greater thickness than the depth of the portion removed by skiving, and said skived portion being of substantially less area than said insole and i being displaced outwardly from the tread surface by said pad when the insole is in place in a shoe.

2. A leather insole having a portion of its under side skived to substantially decrease its thickness, a pad positioned in said skived portion, a layer of fabric extending across said insole beneath said pad and retaining said pad in position, a stiff shank member underlying said layer of fabric, and a canvas insole reinforcement underlying said shank and substantially covering the under side of the insole, said pad being of substantially greater thickness than the depth of the portion removed by skiving, and said skived portion being of substantially less area than said insole and being displaced outwardly from the tread surface by said pad when the insole is in place in a shoe. 3. The method of forming a protuberance in the tread surface of a leather insole which consists in skivin the under side of the insole to produce a fimited area of substantially reduced thickness, inserting a pad therein of substantially greater thickness than the portion removed by skiving placing a stifi flat member under said insole and pad, and securing said membe to said insole by an underlying canvas reinforcement, thereby forcing said pad upwardly and displacing said skived portion outwardly from the tread surface of the insole.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

CHARLES N. PROUTY. 

